Biological materials, such as proteins and nucleic acids, may in certain instances be freeze dried (lyophilized) to enhance their stability in the absence of refrigeration. Freeze-drying comprises freezing of an aqueous mixture containing a biological material and removal of water via sublimation. Biological materials can suffer denaturation—including for example, partial denaturation—as a result of freeze-drying, for example, as a result of the freezing step and/or the sublimation step. Thus, there is a need in the art for methods, compositions, and systems for stable preservation of biological materials that prevents denaturation.